Punishment Recommended For Troops Who Burned Koran

Above: An Afghan demonstrator holds a half-burnt copy of the Koran, allegedly set on fire by U.S. soldiers, at the gate of Bagram airbase during a protest against Koran desecration at Bagram, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) north of Kabul, on February 21, 2012.

Six U.S. soldiers and one sailor are facing disciplinary action for their role in accidentally burning Korans at a military base - an event that sparked violent protests in Afghanistan.

The Washington Post reports military investigators have recommended administrative discipline for the seven troops. No criminal charges will be filed.

It's now up to Army and Navy officials to decide whether or not to punish the Koran-burning service members.

Some background: The seven service members apparently misinterpreted an order when they removed Korans from a storage area and disposed of them in a burn pit at Bagram Airfield. The Korans had been confiscated from prisoners at Parwan Detention Facility, supposedly because detainees had written extremist messages inside them.

As a former military administrative officer, I wonder what were the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) violations committed by these servicemen? Perhaps the fact that no criminal charges are being filed answers that question. And if there were none, is the "recommended administrative discipline" being proposed for purely political purposes, with these servicemen paying the price?